TC Electronic Now Shipping BG250 Bass Combo

THe 1×15˝ combo is TC’s latest entry in the line up of ultra-light combo, but one that comes with the ability to replace on-board effects using the company’s new TonePrint technology.

TonePrint is essentially an effects slot that allows the bassist to dial in what the amp should sound like for a given tune. The amp comes loaded with TC’s Chorus as a default effect, with many others available for download from the company’s website, including Octaver, Compressor, Overdrive, Distortion, Flanger and Vibrato. TC also provides signature tones from a growing list of bassists including Nathan East, Charles Cave, Michael Shuman, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mark King, Roscoe Beck and others. All of these signature tones are available at no cost.

The BG250 packs 250 watts and weighs in at around 35 pounds, a combo TC says makes it “one of the lightest yet loudest combos in its class”, thanks in part to the lightweight Class D amp technology under the hood.

The amp has an integrated 5-string bass tuner, TubeDrive and Bass Tone controls. The amp also comes equipped with an auxiliary input, headphone output and balanced XLR output.

Share your thoughts

No, you don’t need a smart phone to use the amp. It’s a regular amp with a feature (Tone Print) that let’s you download (via cellphone or computer) free of charge a number of the effects they have available, such as flanger, octaver, distortion, to use if you like.

Alright, the “free of charge” doesn’t attract me to this amp. I went to a music store to give it test and was given the same pitch, “download free of charge”. Basically, I couldn’t test these effects because they weren’t loaded into the amp to begin with, and, the salesperson said he couldn’t access this feature. I want an amp that can go straight from the showroom to a gig without the unnecessary steps of having to go to a website on a computer or smartphone in between. The TonePrint seems to be more of an inconvenience rather than a selling point for this amp (and I did not care much for the chorus default, like so many other chorus effects, it seems to add unnecessary high end to the tone).

Really? I need a smart phone to use this amp? What’s the point? I can buy a combo amp at the same price with everything I need built into the amp (or add the effects I already have). This is the stupidest concept I’ve seen yet.

Really? I need a smart phone to use this amp? What’s the point? I can buy a combo amp at the same price with everything I need built into the amp (or add the effects I already have). This is the stupidest concept I’ve seen yet.

No, you don’t need a smart phone to use the amp. It’s a regular amp with a feature (Tone Print) that let’s you download (via cellphone or computer) free of charge a number of the effects they have available, such as flanger, octaver, distortion, to use if you like.

Alright, the “free of charge” doesn’t attract me to this amp. I went to a music store to give it test and was given the same pitch, “download free of charge”. Basically, I couldn’t test these effects because they weren’t loaded into the amp to begin with, and, the salesperson said he couldn’t access this feature. I want an amp that can go straight from the showroom to a gig without the unnecessary steps of having to go to a website on a computer or smartphone in between. The TonePrint seems to be more of an inconvenience rather than a selling point for this amp (and I did not care much for the chorus default, like so many other chorus effects, it seems to add unnecessary high end to the tone).